Meet Your Team

Richard J. Alphonso, JD, CPA/PFS, CGMA, M.S.T., AEP®

Chairman
Chief Executive Officer
Firm Shareholder

Richard (“Rick”) J. Alphonso serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and has over 30 years of experience in  personal financial planning, estate planning, investment management, taxation, corporate finance, and business consulting. Rick holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Taxation from the University of New Orleans, as well as a Juris Doctor from Tulane University School of Law. Rick is a certified public accountant (CPA) and an attorney as well as a Personal Financial Specialist (“PFS”) and an Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®) designee. He is the Past- President and current member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants (AAA-CPA). Rick is also a member of the prestigious Ed Slott, CPA Elite IRA Advisor Group.

Rick is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and he moved to Houston after graduating from Tulane Law School. Rick is married to his childhood sweetheart, Connie, and, they are parents of an adult daughter, Renee, who is a proud LSU graduate, as well as a graduate of the Texas Tech University (“TTU”) graduate financial planning program. Rick is the founding shareholder of the firm and has been with the firm since its inception. He devotes a great deal of his outside time to the American Academy of Attorney-CPAs as well as it’s §501(c)(3) foundation, the American Academy of Attorney-CPA Foundation. Rick enjoys spending time outdoors jogging, racing cars, watching sports, loves music of all varieties, and spending time with his cherished Labradoodle, Buddy Guy (named after his very favorite blues musician).

The Financial Advisory Group, Inc. is not a CPA firm or a law firm.

Darryl Nelson

President
Chief Client Experience Officer

Darryl Nelson serves as the President and Chief Client Experience Officer of FinGroup. He has over 25 years of experience helping clients achieve and maintain financial independence. He is one of five members of the Board of Directors and sits as a voting member on the Investment Committee. Darryl enjoys focusing his attention on solving difficult financial problems for clients and family office engagements.

He grew up in Seattle and attended the University of Washington, he also traveled and lived in Alaska for 3 years. In his spare time he likes watching all forms of motorsports with F1 and IMSA endurance racing topping the list.

Steven Estrin, MBA

Chairman of Investment Committee

Steven A. Estrin serves as the Chairman of the Investment Committee and has over 35 years’ experience in Investment Management, Financial Planning, and Business Consulting experience. He has been with the firm since its inception in 1997 and was involved in the formation of the firm. Steve is a member and past-president and chairman of the South Region of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (“NAPFA”), the only self-regulatory Fee-Only financial planning organization. Steve holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Minnesota. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas where he initially pursued a Ph.D. and taught economics before deciding to enter the business world.

Steve grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and has lived in Houston, Texas since 1971. He is married to Denise and has twin boys, both very gainfully employed. He enjoys spending time with his four young step children in Austin, golfing and traveling to far away places. He has been passionately helping others through involvement with many charitable organizations. He is currently on the Board of Directors of Seven Acres Senior Care Center and the Treasurer of The Holocaust Museum in Houston, one of the largest such museums in North America.

Steven J. Rife, CFA, CFP®

Chief Investment Officer
Firm Shareholder

As the Chief Investment Officer, Steven oversees the firm’s investment analysis, asset allocation, and trading activities. Additionally, he works with clients to determine their risk profile, and discuss their investment results and expectations. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He is a CFA® charter holder and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner.  Prior to joining the firm, Steven worked in commercial banking, insurance, and tax preparation.

Steven is a native Houstonian and lives in Timbergrove with his wife, Erin, and their three children. He enjoys spending time outdoors and volunteering at his children’s school. He is currently a trustee of the St. Anne School Foundation. Steven has been with the firm since 2012 and is a shareholder.

Connie Alphonso

Vice President
Chief Administrative Officer

Connie Alphonso serves as Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. She oversees all internal administrative operations of the firm. As such, Connie oversees the details of our day-to-day business operations which include a variety of human resources and payroll, retirement plan and benefits administration, client invoicing and billing, accounting, physical plant and equipment, and general management activities. Connie formed the firm in 1997 with Rick and has over 25 years of experience in client administration.

Nathan Bowen, MS, CFP®

Chief Planning Officer
Firm Shareholder

Nate Bowen serves as the Chief Planning Officer and oversees the financial planning team developing long-range strategic plans for our clients. This includes cash flow, current financial position, retirement, insurance/benefits and estate planning. He also oversees the bill pay services for family office clients. Nate graduated from Texas Tech University, completing a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. Nate brings several years of experience to our team, formerly having worked for a nationally recognized retirement planning firm. In the recent past he has served on the board as the director of NexGen and Career Development for the Financial Planning Association of Houston and is currently involved with the NAPFA regional study group. Nate is also a member of Ed Slott’s Master Elite IRA Advisor Group^SM.

Nate is originally from Salt Lake City, UT. He and his wife Allison are the proud parents of four children. Nate enjoys volunteering for his church and his hobbies include golf, tennis, watching sports, and playing with his kids. He has been with the firm since 2012 and is a shareholder.

Juan D. Martinez, CPA, CFP®

Tax Director
Chief Compliance Officer
Firm Shareholder

Juan Martinez serves as the Chief Compliance Officer and Tax Director. He has over 10 years of experience providing accounting and tax services to individuals and closely held businesses. Juan graduated from the University of Houston Downtown with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant. Juan is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. Prior to becoming a CPA, Juan worked as a technology professional for several years.

The Financial Advisory Group, Inc. is not a CPA firm or a law firm.

Thomas Sartor, CFA

Chief Investment Strategist
Firm Shareholder

Thomas Sartor is the Chief Investment Strategist at The Financial Advisory Group. Thomas’ responsibilities include investment research, portfolio construction, trading, financial planning, business development and he serves on the firm’s Investment Committee and Technology Committee. Thomas holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in finance from Louisiana State University and is a CFA^® charterholder. He has been with the Financial Advisory Group since 2014 and is a shareholder.

Thomas is currently an active member of the CFA Society^® Houston where he serves on the Programming Committee and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).

Thomas was born in New York City and grew up in Northern Louisiana. When not working, Thomas enjoys spending time with his family, playing guitar, attending concerts and watching soccer matches.

Chris Kolenda, JD, CPA, MBA

Tax Counsel
Firm Shareholder

Chris Kolenda serves as a Financial and Tax Specialist. He has over 20 years of experience in the financial services and chemical industries. Chris is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, with a concentration in taxation. He also has a Master of Business Administration from Rice University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

The Financial Advisory Group, Inc. is not a CPA firm or a law firm.

Natasha McDaniel, EA

Senior Tax Specialist

Natasha McDaniel has over 20 years of experience as a tax professional. Her experience includes working in public accounting firms to provide tax compliance and planning services for businesses and individuals. Natasha has also worked in the industry as a tax compliance specialist for publicly held corporations. Natasha graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. Natasha enjoys traveling and is devoted to caring for her family.

Rachel Krause

Tax Services Associate

Rachel Krause is a Client Service Associate. After graduating from a vocational academy she helped run a small business performing various operational and administrative responsibilities. She assists the client service team to execute all of their various team tasks.

Rachel Romero, MS, CFP®

Financial Planner

Rachel Romero serves as a financial planner. She earned a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning from Texas Tech University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. In addition to working with the financial planning team, Rachel specializes in education planning and helps to create and maintain our client’s 529 Plans.

Rachel is originally from Fort Worth, so in her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants and exploring the city of Houston with her friends.

Renee Jessica Alphonso, MS

Financial Planning Associate

Renee Alphonso serves as a financial planning associate with the firm. She earned a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning from Texas Tech University. She is currently studying for the Certified Financial Planner (“CFP®) exam. Renee also earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the Louisiana State University (“LSU”), majoring in Kinesiology (Human Movement Science) and minoring in Psychology. Therefore, she is a proud fighting Tiger!

As part of Renee’s Texas Tech University Graduate Personal Financial Planning Program, Renee prepared for a role in financial planning through volunteering in programs such as Red to Black® Peer Financial Coaching, Knowledge Empowering You Outreach Program, as well as serving on the Personal Financial Planning Ambassadors Committee as an Executive Board Member. While at LSU, Renee pledged the Delta Delta Delta Sorority and was an active member for all four years.

Renee completed her internship with the firm in the summer of 2020. Yet, Renee has the distinction of having worked summers with the firm for over half of her life. Becoming a financial planner is not only her passion, but it is also in her blood.

As a native Houstonian, Renee enjoys being back in Houston after her collegiate and graduate career. While not working, Renee loves traveling, hiking, as well as attending concerts, and she also has an unconditional love for animals, including her Cavapoo, Clover, an affection that has been cultivated by volunteering for years at the Houston Zoo. Renee is also an avid scuba diver, having been PADI certified for almost a decade.

John Croy

Associate Financial Planner

John Croy serves as an Associate Financial Planner for the firm. He has passed the Certified Financial Planner™ exam and is currently working towards completing his work experience requirement to receive the designation. He graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Personal Financial Planning. John is originally from Dallas and is a huge sports fan. He is a passionate supporter of the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Mavericks.

Chris Puckett, MS

Investment Management Associate

Chris Puckett is an Investment Management Associate at The Financial Advisory Group.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Finance at Mississippi State University and then obtained a Master of Science degree in Finance from Louisiana State University.  Before joining the firm at the beginning of 2023, Chris was an intern in the Investment Management division during the summer of 2022.   During his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with his Golden Retriever, Fletcher, as well as fishing, golfing, and live music.

Lynnette D. Okwuonu, CPA/PFS, CGMA

Chief Operating Officer

Lynnette Okwuonu serves as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing client service operations, financial planning operations, and tax operations for the firm.  Lynnette holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Oklahoma Christian University of Science & Arts.  Lynnette is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA^®).  She is the current President of the Houston Women’s Society of CPAs and serves as an Advisor to Houston Christian University’s Women in Leadership Program.  Lynnette is a long-time member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Texas Society of CPAs and the InfraGard.  She recently became a member of Women’s Finance Exchange – Houston.

Lynnette is currently studying to become a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst

(CDFA^®) and will be speaking to her alma mater, Oklahoma Christian University’s “Women Who Lead” class in February 2024.

Lynnette was born and raised in the Sunflower State.  She then attended college in Edmond, OK, and her career led her to Houston in 1997.  Lynnette has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, encompassing everything from financial planning, family office services, tax preparation, operations, compliance, and cybersecurity to management.

Lynnette is married with four children.  She and her husband, Kenneth, are active in the work of Westbury Christian School and their local church.  Lynnette thrives on staying busy.  Having a full house and a full career brings her great joy.  In her downtime, Lynnette enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, attending sporting events, and listening to live music.

The Financial Advisory Group, LLC, is not a CPA firm or a law firm.

Nick Garrett

Client Service Associate

Nick Garrett is a Client Service Associate from Houston, Texas. He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a double major in Finance and Entrepreneurship.

When not in the office, Nick enjoys spending time offshore fishing for Yellowfin Tuna and Swordfish.

Michel Gonzalez

Client Service Associate

As one of the firm’s Client Service Associates, Michel assists clients with service requests and supports the Operations team. Michel graduated from the University of Houston with a BBA in Finance and a concentration in Personal Financial Planning and Corporate Entrepreneurship.  She brings to the firm over 5 years of client service experience in the financial services industry. She began her career at large broker dealers and then transitioned into private wealth management. Michel enjoys providing a high level of service to clients. Michel is a native Houstonian and enjoys spending time with family, traveling and going to concerts. She also enjoys volunteering at food pantries in her free time.

Daniel Perkins

Operations Associate

Daniel Perkins joined the firm in 2023 and serves as an Operations Associate, working closely with our Director of Operations, Client Service, and Financial Planning teams.  He was born and raised in Houston, TX.  Daniel graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University, studying Economics and Sociology.  In his time outside of the office, he coaches a little league baseball team and enjoys spending time with his dog, Benji.